Chapter 836
Keith clenched his fists, taking a moment before he spoke, his voice laced with a mix of fury and fear.
“The day she came to pick me up, I was over the moon, stepping out of the house only to see Kendrick standing by her side.
I couldn’t believe that the man she had mentioned was part of the Bradfords!
Seeing Kendrick brought back all my nightmares. I was scared of him, and I hated him!
I hated the entire Bradford clan!
But at that moment, fear overtook my hatred. I was terrified he’d hurt me or, worse, hurt her. I wanted to protect her!
I rushed over, crazily trying to pull her away, to get her as far from Kendrick as possible!
I even bit Kendrick, hoping somehow I could take him down!
But she scolded me sternly, telling me, ‘Aiden, it’s wrong to hurt people, let go p>
That was the first time she ever spoke to me like that. I was so hurt. I bit him trying to protect her, and she was angry with me?
I let go of Kendrick and ran back inside, curling up in a corner to cry.
She followed me in and told me she knew I was a good kid, that there must’ve been a reason for my biting Kendrick. She asked me what was wrong.
I was hurting and scared, and I couldn’t speak.
Sensing my turmoil, she didn’t press further. She said she’d wait for me at school, that whenever I was ready to open up, I should come to her.
She said keeping too many things bottled up inside was exhausting, and she was there to listen and keep my secrets.
Later, she and Kendrick left together, but not before warning Maxwell not to lay a finger on me, promising she’d come back for me tomorrow!
After she left, I spent a long time thinking and decided I needed to talk to her, to tell her all about my nightmares, to warn her about how terrible the Bradfords were!
But before I could see her, Kendrick came looking for me.
It wasn’t her; Kendrick came alone.
That night, as heavy rain poured down, Kendrick showed up in a black raincoat, looking more terrifying than any demon!
Knowing he came behind her back meant nothing good. I ran as fast as I could, but he caught up in no time!
He overpowered me, dragging me towards the backwoods!
I was petrified, biting him again in panic. But he lost all restraint, hitting me so hard I thought my bones would shatter!
I fell to the ground, dazed.
He dragged me by one foot, uncaring if I lived or died, as rain and mud invaded my nostrils and mouth.
The path up the mountain was treacherous, branches and rocks battering me until I couldn’t go on and passed out.
Before I lost consciousness, I heard him say he and Elizabeth would have their own kids, they didn’t need a bastard like me!
Two days later, I woke up to find Elizabeth had left with him, abandoning me p>
Keith’s face was a mix of self-mockery and sorrow, while Elysia looked utterly shocked.
She’d never met Kendrick, but Tarquin had told her about him.
Tarquin had described Kendrick as a gentleman, reasonable and kind-hearted, different from the rest of the Bradfords. He was benevolent, pursuing freedom and love, having broken ties with the Bradfords over Elizabeth and his disdain for Gideon’s questionable morals and actions.
Such a man, she thought, shouldn’t be capable of cruelty towards a child.
“A child left in the rain, dragged up a mountain by one foot… the very thought is horrifying!
“Are you sure it was Kendrick who dragged you to the backwoods p>
Elysia’s skepticism was palpable, struggling to reconcile Tarquin’s portrayal of Kendrick with Keith’s harrowing account. Even if Kendrick wanted his own biological child over adopting Keith, surely, she thought, he would have discussed it openly with Elizabeth rather than resorting to harming Keith in secret.